Eating healthy is by no means an easy achievement, but it is quite possible with a little bit of know-how and power. One question that often arises for people who start eating more whole foods is to produce bad. After a few days, or even a few hours for some grocery goods, your food may destroy.
So how do you solve this? Fruits and vegetables turn out to be good energy sources, nutrients, dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals (1). Products are important for a healthy diet – and to eat it, you need to know what to do with it to keep it fresh. How to make products last longer.
Where should I store my products?
The most important problem when it comes to keeping products fresh is where you choose to store it: fridge, countertop or elsewhere. Location can really make all the difference when it comes to how long your food lasts.
Food to be stored on your countertop are those who still have to mature. Certain products (usually fruits) can be purchased before they are ripe, so you will put them on your countertop until they are ready to be eaten. From then on it is a good idea to eat them right away or store them in the fridge for a few more days. Examples of some products that you might want to leave the fridge are (2):
- Tomatoes
- Avocado
- Bananas
- Pears
There are also certain vegetables that you need to store in a cool, dry space such as a pantry – these include (2):
- Onion
- Garlic
- Potatoes
- Winter Squash
These types of products cannot be stored in the refrigerator, because when exposed to moisture, their structure and taste can change for the worse.
Any other products should be put in your refrigerator. This especially includes fruits and vegetables that are already ripe or cut into pieces.
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Don’t keep these foods together
Ethylene is a gas released by most fruits and vegetables that cause products to mature (3).
“The more ripe an ethylene -producing fruit or vegetable, the more gas it produces. So if other products are nearby, the gas will also lead them to mature faster,” says MyFitnessPal dietitian Katherine Basbaum.
Most wooden fruits lay out large quantities of ethylene among a number of other products. Here are some ethylene -producing fruits and vegetables (3):
- Apples
- Pears
- Apricots
- Avocado
- Cantaloupe
- Nectarines
- Papaya
- Peaches
- Bananas (when fully mature)
- Peppers (when fully ripe)
- Tomatoes (when fully mature)
The above produces items should not be stored with fruits and vegetables that are sensitive to ethylene which includes (3):
- Carrots
- Parsnips
- Broccoli
- Cucumbers
- Asparagus
- Isberg Salad
- Squash
- Herbs
- Apples
Lower temperatures help reduce sensitivity to ethylene (3). You want to store these ethylene sensitive foods in the fridge in a crispier drawer. Ethylene -producing fruits and vegetables must be sacked and stored in another spreader drawer.
About the expert
Katherine Basbaum, Ms, Rd is a food data curator on MyFitnessPal. She received her candidates in Nutrition Communication from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy at Tufts University and completed her dietary internship at UVA Health, where she also works as a nutrition adviser for cardiology patients.
4 tips to get products to last longer
Now that we have covered where we need to place certain products and what types of products should not be stored together, let’s dive into more specific tips and tricks on how to make products last longer.
#1: Remove tops of root vegetables
Root vegetables such as carrots, beets and radishes have all leaves that tend to rot quickly, so if you do not plan to eat the leaf tops, it is a good idea to cut them off immediately after purchase (4). Go ahead and store the destroyed root vegetables in the refrigerator after that.
#2: Use your spreader drawer
Do not put products on refrigerator shelves – the crisis is there for a reason! Putting products in sharper drawers helps protect it and keep moisture for a longer period of time (5). This ultimately maintains freshness for extended periods. However, make sure that when using sharper drawers, separate fruits from vegetables as well as ethylene -producing objects from ethylene sensitive objects.
#3: Keep fresh herbs vertically
If you buy fresh herbs, do not leave them in the products you bought it in. Instead, treat the herbs like flowers: Snip a bit off the ends and put them in a mug and then cover them with a products (5). This will keep the herbal stems alive so you have the freshest ingredients to use.
#4: Wash leaf vegetables
Basbaum recommends rinsing leafy vegetables under cool water, pat them dry with a paper or towel, wrapping them in a clean towel to absorb excess water and store them in a sealed container (6). This leads to optimal freshness for the green green – perfect for salads, stir froth and everything else.
Frequently asked questions (frequently asked questions): How to get products to last longer
How should I store cut fruits and vegetables?
It is best to store pre-cut or packed products in the refrigerator (7). This also applies to fruits and vegetables that you may have cut yourself.
Should I wash my products before I store it?
Apart from leaf vegetables, most produce items will remain fresh for a longer period of time if not stored -4). It is probably best to wash your products just before using it.
What products usually go badly faster?
“Soft fruits (like berries) as well as fresh leaf vegetables tend to ruin faster than other more heartfelt fruits and vegetables,” says Basbaum (8). It may be a good idea to eat these products within days of the purchase.
What types of containers are best for preserving freshness?
“Containers made of glass, stainless steel and ceramics are good choices for storing products, as these materials are non-reactive and non-toxic, can easily be disinfected and keep food fresh,” says Basbaum (9). Plastic containers are also in order, but Basbaum recommends checking that they are a dishwasher and BPA-free.
The lower line
With so many types of products and different storage methods, it can feel overwhelming to consistently eat fresh, whole foods without waste. But learning to store your fruits and vegetables properly need not be complicated.
Start Small: Choose a few products you buy frequently and apply the tips described above. Over time, you become more comfortable with which foods to cool, which are better off the disk and how to keep ethylene -sensitive items fresh for a longer period of time.
Ultimately, making products are still not just about preventing food waste – it’s about getting the most nutritional value from your food and making healthy eating more practical and sustainable. A little planning and care can go a long way in helping you keep you to your health goals while saving money and time in the kitchen
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